Post binder



.Aug. 13, 1940. SCHADE 2,211,511

POST BINDER Filed Aug. 29, 1939 1 INVENTOR M -19 JEH/v 601,405 15 6 BY jan/ a i7 70 Y- ATTORN YS Patented Aug. 13, 1940 2,211,517

UNETE STATES PATENT OFFICE POST BINDER John Schade, Holyoke, Mass, assignor to National Blank Book Company, Holyoke, Mass, a corporation of Massachusetts Application August 29, 1939, Serial No. 292,395

4 Claims. (Cl. 12912) This invention relates to an improvement in thin material. In addition to openings 6, Ipunch loose leaf binders known as post binders. My small slot-like openings 7, one in the bottom of object is to improve this type of binder with rethe tube 4 below each opening 6, as seen in Fig. 3. spect to its inclusion of automatic mechanism I refer now to Figs, 5, 6, and 7, and the parts for fastening its removable cover to the posts. In there shown which are to be put in the binder 5 such structures the cover is automatically fastube 4, I provide a lever arm or a latch plate, tened when the two covers are assembled with indicated as a whole by reference 8, one end, of the contents between them. Illustrations of prior which forms finger piece II. vThis piece is offset art binders having this automatic feature are seen from the other parts by a ledge I2. The outerin Patent No. 1,453,066 of April 24, 1923, and Patmost portion I5 from ledge I2 is provided with a 10 cut No. 1,471,759 of October 23, 1923. post hole I3 and forms a fastening plate I5. In-

In the accompanying drawing I will disclose termediate the ledge I2 and hole ii I provide my improved means by which a new and useful two open-ended slots 14, one on each side, and post binder with advantages to both the manuthe plate It is bent slightly downwards along the facturer and user is attained. line of these slots, so that plate part 15 is in a "15 In the drawing: canted position, as indicated. in Fig. 6, when the Fig. 1 is a top view of the assembled post finger piece II is in horizontal position. The binder; element 9, seen in Fig. 6, is a V-shaped spring Fig. 1A is a sectional view on line A-A of Fig. plate having substantially the width of part 8.

" l, the scale being about double the size of an The bottom portion of spring element 9 is pro- 20 actual binder construction; vided with two small prongs It, one at each cor- Fig. 2 is an end View of Fig. 1; ner. Element I0 is a saddle plate which has at Fig. 3 is a top view of the upper binder tube one end a prong Il extending downwards, see of Fig. 1 before the automatic mechanism has Figs. 6 and 7. The other end is bent upwards to been inserted in it; form a guard l8, and at the top of guard It there as Fig, 4 is an end view of Fig, 3, but with a porare two small prongs l9, one at each side. At 29 tion of the cover connected; there are two open-ended slots in the sides of Fig. 5 is a top view of the automatic mechasaddle Ill. nism; By considering Fig. 6 and Fig. 1A it will be seen Fig. 6 is an exploded view of the automatic that parts 8, 9, and II] can be assembled by prongs 3o mechanism in side elevation as compared to It of spring 9 being inserted in slots 28 of saddle Fig. 5; It, the bent portion of spring 9 resting against Fig. 7 is a top view of the saddle plate of Fig. guard I8, and latch plate 8 being placed so that 6; and finger piece I! rests on the top portion of spring Fig. 8 is a sectional view on line 8--8 of Fig. 1. 9 and open-ended slots l4 fit over prongs IQ of 35 The back cover portion 3 preferably includes saddle guard I8, the portion of saddle guard I8 the hinged strip I in the form of a flattened metal between prongs I9 providing pivot means on tube, but such strip may be solid. On this strip which latch arm 8 may rock. I the usual posts 2 are provided. One feature of the invention is that the mech- 0 The top cover portion 3 has a similar binder anism of Figs. 5, 6, and 7 may be thus assem- 40 strip hinged thereto and in the form of a somebled, either outside top binder tube i or through what flattened tube, referred to as a binder tube either opening 6, on the inner bottom surface of 4, In this binder tube 3, holes 5 are punched so tube 4, and can be pushed into operative position that the tube 4 may be impaled upon posts 2 in in the top binder tube 4 by sliding such mechasuch manner that the latter may glide freely nism through either opening 5 adjacent to a post 45 through the holes. The construction up to this hole 5 so that the fastening plate It extends close point is a common one. to and along the under side of the tube portion The new features will now be specifically disbetween opening 6 and post hole 5 and overlaps closed in my preferred form. In the top Wall of the latter, the opening I3 in fastening plate I5 this tube 4 I punch finger openings 6, in this incoinciding with post hole 5 of tube t, and ledge 50 stance of generally rectangular shape, about the I2 of latch plate 8 resting against that edge of size of a finger print, one such opening being opening 6 adjacent to post hole 5. Flanges 2i located adjacent to each post hole 5. The sides prevent finger pieces II when in depressed posiof openings 6 may have small flanges 2i extendtion from sliding underneath the top surface of ing downwards, enabling tube A to be made of tube 4. Prong l! of saddle ID will lie in slot- 55 like opening 1 in the bottom of tube 4, holding the saddle plate in position on the inner bottom surface of the tube. Action of spring 9 will hold finger piece II of latch arm 8 substantially flush with the upper surface of tube 4 and will also hold fastening plate [5 of the latch arm in its normally canted position, as in Fig 1A. Both finger pieces II, as seen in Fig. 2, are a little higher than I prefer them in the actual structure, being raised a little in that figure so they will be seen more easily. The mechanism may be removed by forcing prong ll of saddle plate It] out of the slot-like opening I where it is normally held by action of spring 9, and sliding the parts out again.

It will be understood that the assembly and insertion of one set of parts as I have described in connection with one opening adjacent to a post hole are duplicated with another set of parts in connection with the other opening. When the operations are thus completed, the top binder tube 4 with its hinged cover 3 may be impaled upon the posts 2 and the mechanism will operate automatically to fasten the cover in any position on posts 2 to which the cover is pressed, as seen in Fig. 2. This position of course depends on the contents of the loose leaf book from time to time. Finger pressure on finger pieces H is not necessary in the placing of the cover, since the downward movement of fastening plates 15 on posts 2 tends to raise plates IE to a plane which will permit posts 2 to slide freely therethrough. The normal canted position of fastening plates 15 actuated by their springs (see Fig. 1A), grips the posts and any tendency to separate said plates from the posts, as by lifting binder tube 4, Without pressing down on finger pieces ll, serves only to increase the grip of each fastening plate l5.

In order to detach tube 4 and cover 3 from posts 2, finger pieces II are depressed with the thumbs, thus pivoting latch plate 8 on saddle guard l8 or on the under side of the top surface of binder tube 4, and raising the fastening plates 5 to a plane allowing the posts to glide freely therethrough, and the cover is lifted off with the fingers.

The mechanism in the binder combination has the advantage that all the parts of Fig. 6 can be made without regard to the size of and separate from the other parts of the binder manufacture, and they can then be assembled without tools in any binder sizes as if the latter were all of one size, provided only the posts are of one diameter.

There is also an advantage in that all sizes of binders can be made without regard to operations for the assembly work of getting the automatic mechanical parts fastened. The binder tubes may be made of single sheets of metal as in Fig. 8 and with integral portions bent over to close the otherwise open ends, as in Fig. 4. The openings such as 5, 6, and 7 can of course be made most economically as the tube is subjected to its sheet metal forming operations. The openings 6 may be placed on the inside or outside of the post holes 5. Usually the openings 6 are on the outside of the post holes, but Where it is thought desirable for any reason, such as the size of the binder, to have the posts close to the ends of the binder tube, the openings 6 may be made on the inside and the distance of the posts from the end of the binder tube can then be as small as may be desired.

These various advantages and others afford the manufacturer savings in time, material, labor,

and the cost of inventory. Savings also extend to the customer or user since the books may have their wearing parts replaced from the factory of the manufacturer and assembly made very easily in the field.

The user has a binder cover of very simple appearance with no protruding parts due to the automatic fastening means. The user can be supplied with a better binder at lower cost, and one more easily maintained in service for a longer time than the prior art binder of this type, so far as I know.

I claim:

- 1. In a post binder a binder tube having a post hole, an opening about the size of a finger print adjacent said hole in combination with mechanism to latch said tube to a post passing through said hole, said mechanism comprising a lever plate with a finger portion made to loosely fill said opening, a ledge portion made to lie along one edge of said opening, a latch portion offset from the finger portion beyond said ledge portion and made to underlie the inner surface of the top wall of said tube and extend in canted position to overlap said post hole and Within the tube, a post hole in the latch portion, supporting and positioning means for said latch plate including a spring to yieldingly hold said lever plate within the tube with the finger portion substantially flush and in said opening and its latch portion in canted position, whereby a binder post may slide through said post hole in one direction and cam the lever plate out of canted position against said spring as the post passes through the post hole of said latch portion, but be latched against movement in the other direction by the tendency of said spring, aided by the movement of the post, to hold the latch in canted position, said mechanism being made in parts, assembled and pushed into said tube through said finger openings to be merely sprung in position within the tube and then held therein by spring pres sure.

2. In post binder construction a top cover, a hinged binder tube thereon made of sheet metal closed at the ends, said tube having two post holes passing therethrough and two openings each about the size of a finger print, one adjacent each post hole, and two independent sets of spring pressed latch mechanisms, each com prising a spring saddle portion, a lever plate and a spring, these parts being loosely assembled together with cooperating means thereon to predetermine their relative positions and adapted to be assembled through either one of said two openings and pushed inside said binder tube to final position, said saddle member having positioning means to cooperate with said binder tube and hold the parts spring pressed in post latching position, said lever plate having a fastening portion with a post hole therein adapted to latch on a post by being canted by said spring and to be unlatched by finger pressure on one end of the lever plate, said one end lying substantially flush with and filling the opening through which the assembly was made.

3. A post binder comprising back and front covers each having a binding strip hinged thereto, two posts mounted in the back cover strip and two post holes provided in the front cover strip, the latter strip being in the form of a sheet metal binder tube having adjacent each one of its post holes an opening to the interior of the tube, about the size of a finger print, a lever plate having a post hole near one end and at the other end a finger operating portion to loosely fit either of said openings, said lever plate being adapted to cramp its post hole end against a post When canted in one direction, and parts including a spring adapted to be loosely assembled with said lever plate so as to be readily sprung into the binder tube as a whole through said finger openings and housed thereby in operating position so as to act as a spring latch for the adjacent post, said plate and parts all being separable but operable as a complete spring and finger operable latch mechanism when srpung into said binder tube, such mechanism being duplicated and one provided for each of the twoposts of the binder.

4. In post binder construction, a top cover, a hinged binder tube thereon made of sheet metal closed at the ends, said tube having post holes passing therethrough and openings each about the size of a finger print adjacent each post hole, and independent sets of spring pressed latch mechanisms each comprising a spring saddle portion, a lever plate and a spring, these parts being loosely assembled together with cooperating means thereon to predetermine their relative positions and adapted to be assembled through one of said openings and pushed inside said binder tube to final position, said saddle member being fixed in position on the inner bottom surface of the tube and having an upstanding portion on which the lever plate is pivoted, the pivoting point being closely adjacent the upper wall of said tube, and said spring being positioned between the saddle member and the lever plate to hold the lever plate in post latching position, said lever plate having a fastening portion with a post hole tnerein adapted to latch on a post by being canted by said spring and to be unlatched by finger pressure on one end of the lever plate, said one end lying substantially flush with and filling the opening through which assembly was made.

JOHN SCHADE. 

